Ambient Systems

ambient |ˈambēənt|
adjective [ attrib. ]
of or relating to the immediate surroundings of something

system |ˈsistəm|
noun
1 a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole

Sentient Architectures: at Home

Rodolphe el-Khoury with Nashid Nabian
Research II
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http://www.ambientdevices.com/products/umbrella.html\
Ambient Systems

The Ambient Umbrella lets you know when rain or

snow is in the forecast by illuminating its handle.
Light patterns intuitively indicate rain, drizzle, snow,
or thunderstorms. Automatically receives local
weather data from AccuWeather.com — no setup,
no sensors, no wet commute. This intelligent um-
brella has you covered.

Ambient Umbrella

http://www.ambientdevices.com/products/umbrella.html\

Ambient Umbrella
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Ambient Systems

http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/products.html
The Beacon is a frosted-glass cube that glows
different colors to display real time stock market
trends, traffic congestion, pollen forecasts, or any
other Ambient information channel: weather, wind-
speed, pollen, traffic congestion, and more.

Ambient Weather Beacon

Ambient Weather Beacon http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/products.html

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Ambient Systems

The Braille Interpreter is a single-finger glove that

http://wiredcubes.com/braille-interpreter/
features a tactile sensor, a Bluetooth headphone
and interpreting software. The glove has a tactile
sense at the index finger. The heart of the device
sits at the back of the hand which is also respon-
sible for converting data from the sensor into voice.
In order the blind person hear these auditory sig-
nals a earpiece is attached which connects to the
main device via bluetooth technology.

Braille Interpreter

We present the design of a cost-effective wearable

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=110
sensor to detect and indicate the strength and other
characteristics of the electric field emanating from
a laptop display. Our bracelet can provide an im-
mediate awareness of electric fields radiated from
an object used frequently. Our technology thus sup-
ports awareness of ambient background emanation
beyond human perception. We discuss how detec-
tion of such radiation might help to “fingerprint” de-
vices and aid in applications that require determina-
tion of indoor location.

EMF Bracelet
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http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/pulse-camera-1004.
Ambient Systems

The system measures slight variations in bright-

ness produced by the flow of blood through blood
vessels in the face. Public-domain software is used
to identify the position of the face in the image, and
then the digital information from this area is broken
down into the separate red, green and blue portions
of the video image. In tests, the pulse data derived
from this setup were compared with the pulse deter-
mined by a commercially available FDA-approved
blood-volume pulse sensor.

html
Health Mirror

http://www.studioroosegaarde.net/work_html.php?id=1
4D-Pixel is a smart surface which physically reacts
to your voice and music. This interactive sculpture
is a merging of electromagnetics, software and
electronics. The dynamic of the wall is made of
hundreds of pixels which react on the dynamic in
sound frequencies.

4D Pixel
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http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/8552/
Ambient Systems

Shade Pixel is an interactive display that uses flex-

ible Spandex to represent information. It can be
used as an ambient display for its peripherality;
non-luminescent nature and simple appearance.
The prototype is built as a grid surface with spandex
stretched across the frame. Small magnets at the
surface are attracted to metal pillars which move
up and down to create indentations is the surface.

shade-pixel.html
Shade pixel

http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/dynamic-terrain-
Dynamic Terrain is an interactive surface that can
be controlled by its users via a software interface.
It functions as a modular interior landscape that
can be adjusted to fit spatial or physical require-
ments in real time. Dynamic Terrain is represent-
ing a flexible morphing space (liquid polyurethane)
that you can program and play with like you can
with a creature. It is a body of data responding to
your actions. Dynamic Terrain is controlled using
shockwave software to manipulated a reinforced
polyurethane skin.

janis-ponisch.html
Dynamic Terrain
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Ambient Systems

Shutters is a kinetic e-textile membrane for envi-

http://fluid.media.mit.edu:4000/projects.
ronmental control and communication. It consists
of a curtain composed of actuated louvers that
can be individually addressed for precise control
of ventilation, daylight incidence and information

php?action=details&id=43
display. Shutters’ soft mechanics is based on the
electronic actuation of shape-memory alloy, which
can be precisely controlled to angle the louvers and
dynamically adjust their aperture, regulating shade
and ventilation, as well as displaying images and
animations.

Shutters

Super Cilla Skin is a tactile and visual system con-

sisting of an array of actuators that are anchored to

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=40
an elastic membrane. These actuators represent
information by changing their physical orientation.
Each actuator is a felt-tipped rod with a magnet
at its base. The rods are anchored to a silicone
membrane with two plastic nuts. These actuators
oscilate in response to a magnetic force below the
surface of Super Cilla Skin. This force alters the
angle of the actuators on the upper surface.

SuperCilla Skin
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Ambient Systems

thought-powered-controller-could-gaming-get-any-la/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/02/project-epoc-
Project Epoc is designed to take video games to
the next level by exploding your input possibilities
and removing even the minimal amount of calories
burned through furiously smashing controller but-
tons.

Epoch Controller

Touch Me consists of a flexible vibrotactile motor

array in a soft enclosure that can be applied to

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=90
large areas of the body and remotely actuated by
a care-giver through a remote switch array. The
long, narrow geometry of the vibrotactile array is
designed to provide soothing touch simulation over
an entire part of the body: an arm, a leg, the back
or the chest. A remote controller allows mapping of
the location and intensity of vibrotactile actuation by
a caregiver.

Touch Me
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Ambient Systems

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=90
Squeeze Me is a vest that simulates therapeutic
holding. Pneumatic chambers around the shoul-
ders, chest and back are inflated by a portable
air compressor to momentarily provide distributed
pressure in ways that have been shown to lessen
panic attacks in autistic children and to help man-
age aggressive children. A digital control system
administers the ‘hug’ by direct control on behalf of
the wearer.

Squeeze Me

Cool Me Down is a flexible electronic cold wrap

containing electronic heat pumps. A neoprene sub-

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=90
strate insulates the hot and cold sides of the heat
pumps and maintains the structure of the device,
which resembles a small bandage. Peltier Junc-
tions glued to aluminum plaques generate a sub-
stantial temperature difference from one side to the
other (~15ºC). The plaques act as heat sinks, and
are hinged together by the neoprene insulator so
that the entire object can be wrapped around differ-
ent parts of the body.

Cool Me Down
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Ambient Systems

The eCloud is a dynamic sculpture inspired by the

http://www.ecloudproject.com/index.html
volume and behavior of an idealized cloud. Made
from unique polycarbonate tiles that can fade be-
tween transparent and opaque states, its patterns
are transformed periodically by real time weather
from around the world.

eCloud

http://homepage.mac.com/ysanto/projects/co-ex_cubes/
Responsive cubes that recognize motion above
and rise and lower accordingly.

CoEx Cubes
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Ambient Systems

FLARE is a modular system to create a dynamic

hull for facades or any building or wall surface. Act-
ing like a living skin, it allows a building to express,
communicate and interact with its environment.

http://www.flare-facade.com/
Flare

The new smart material is a thin, transparent, non-

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/06/21/carbon-dioxide-
mechanical surface which automatically opens
and closes “gills” in response to human presence
to control the air quality in the room. The silicone
surface embedded with Dynalloy Flexinol wires
contracts due to the electrical stimulus, allowing the
“gills” to breathe and regulate air quality when car-
bon dioxide levels are high. You can watch Living
Glass breathe here or check out the Architectural
League’s video interview with the two architects be-

sensing-living-glass/
low.

Living Glass
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Ambient Systems

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/lighting/
Electroland set a riser system into the surrounding
concrete, then placed a grid of 176 16-inch-square
tiles within it. Each tile is a sandwich of fritted glass
and plastic that holds 96 red LEDs and has four

archives/0708enteractive.asp
compression sensors and a microcomputer on
its underside. When someone steps on a tile, the
sensors and microcomputer send data to a mas-
ter computer located in the lobby. That computer in
turn signals the tile to illuminate.

Electroland

The Podium Light Wall is located on the South and

http://kinecity.com/podium-wall-7-world-trade-center/
North facades of 7 World Trade Center. As people
wander on the pavement below a strip of blue light
gracefully follows them. This strip of blue light is 7
floors tall and is visible from Freedom Park. The Po-
dium Wall accentuates the individual, and the pat-
terns that are created as many pass by together.
Kinecity designed the interactive element of the de-
sign for James Carpenter Design Assoc. who were
the responsible for the wall as an art piece.

Podium Wall
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http://www.studioroosegaarde.net/work_html.php?id=3
Ambient Systems

Dune is an interactive landscape which reacts on

the behavior of people. This hybrid of nature and
technology exists out of large amounts of fibers
which are brightened according to the sounds and
motion of passing visitors. Our most recent version
is filled with interactive lights and sounds. Dune in-
vestigates nature in a futuristic relation with urban
space by means of looking, walking and interacting.

Dund 4.0

The Orb arrives preset to track the Dow Jones In-

http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/orb/orborder.html
dustrial Average, glowing more green or red to indi-
cate market movement up or down, or yellow when
the market is calm. It can be customized to a set of
free channels, such as market indices or weather in
major cities.

Orb